HMS Princess Irene
Marker: recorded wreck position (Date not recorded).
Key facts
| Name | HMS Princess Irene | Wikidata label |
|---|---|---|
| Ship type | minelayer, ocean liner | Wikidata P31 instance of |
| Cause of loss | Fire or explosion | Keyword match in English Wikipedia lead sentence |
| Nationality / flag | United Kingdom | Wikidata P137 operator → P17 country |
| Operator | Royal Navy | Wikidata P137 operator |
| Sea / ocean | North Sea | Natural Earth marine areas (public domain), point-in-polygon |
| Nearest coast | England | Natural Earth (public domain); approx. 4 km from land |
| Position | 51.4297, 0.6936 | Wikidata P625 coordinate location (CC0) |
About the wreck
HMS Princess Irene was a 5,394 GRT ocean liner which was built in 1914 by William Denny and Brothers Ltd, Dumbarton, Scotland for the Canadian Pacific Railway. She was requisitioned by the Royal Navy on completion and converted to an auxiliary minelayer. On 27 May 1915, she exploded and sank off Sheerness, Kent, while being loaded with mines prior to a deployment mission, with the loss of 352 lives.
Diving & visiting
A memorial to those lost on Bulwark and Princess Irene was erected at the Dockyard Church, Sheerness in 1921. It was dedicated by Archdeacon Charles Ingles, the Chaplain of the Fleet. It was unveiled by Hugh Evan-Thomas, Commander-in-Chief, The Nore. Victims of both ships whose bodies were not recovered are also commemorated on the Naval War Memorial at Southsea.
Another memorial was placed in Woodlands Road Cemetery, Gillingham, as part of the Naval Burial Ground.
Location
- Recorded position: 51.4297, 0.6936 (Wikidata P625 coordinate location (CC0); may be approximate)
- Sea / ocean: North Sea
- Nearest coast: England
Wreck positions on this site are for interest only and are not for navigation. Many wrecks are war graves or legally protected: never disturb human remains or remove artefacts, and check local law before diving.
Text adapted from the Wikipedia article HMS Princess Irene (revision 1376051578), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes: excerpted from the article lead section and section(s) “Memorials”; condensed by selecting paragraphs; citations and formatting removed. No text added. This excerpt is available under the same licence.
Wreck facts from Wikidata (CC0).
Nearby wrecks
- SS Richard Montgomery 1944 · 8 km
- HMS London 8 km
- HMS Royal James 13 km
- HMS Beagle 20 km
- HMT Amethyst 24 km
- HMS Venetia 26 km
Browse more: UK & Ireland wrecks · wrecks off England · North Sea